Women: What did you start squatting at?

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ghouli
ghouli Posts: 207 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Idek if that's the proper way to phrase it, lol.

I touched the weights for the first time at the gym tonight. My experience with any kind of strength training is body weight stuff, or what you'd find in 30DS and things like that. Needless to say, it was hella fun and I'm looking forward to doing it again :)

I'm wondering what you started at when you just got going with it, what you're at now, how long it took you to progress, etc. And any tips or advice you have for a newbie is of course appreciated! I could only do 75 lbs which...eh, but whatever. It's a start at least haha.
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Replies

  • Mistraal1981
    Mistraal1981 Posts: 453 Member
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    I started with Stronglifts 5x5 strength programme. I would recommend it if you want to start lifting seriously. For squats I started with the empty bar to get form right. Empty bar is 20kgs. I'm now squatting 62.5 kgs which is heavier than I am now!!

    Good luck!
  • DawnEmbers
    DawnEmbers Posts: 2,451 Member
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    Once I started with a program it was the bar, around 45 lbs. Before then, had a session with a trainer and he used the fitness class bars, which weigh barely anything and added about 20 to it so I could learn form. I also did Stronglifts in the beginning, so improved a fair amount over time.
  • ar9179
    ar9179 Posts: 374 Member
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    I follow Stronglifts, too. In Feb I started with the 45 lb bar and progressed to 150 on squats by Sept. Vacations, illness, concern about form led to several de-loads over the course of the year. I'll stay at a weight to get form dialed in, too. I was at 145 and have de-loaded all the lifts again because of some back/arm issues. I may have a mental block about lifting 150!

    Stronglifts is a straight forward program and has a free app to help you track. It starts low because weight is added every workout and heavy happens quickly. You want to concentrate on form in the beginning, so starting out low is a good idea.
    There's a group for woman on MFP who of follow it or have adapted it to suit their goals. Check it out!
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/4601-stronglifts-5x5-for-women
  • clehman71
    clehman71 Posts: 139 Member
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    I started with bare bar to get the form down right. I work with a trainer. I now squat almost 200 lbs. It took me about a year but during that time I had to take time out for stress fractures in the foot. I am sure you can get there faster if you don't have to take 3 months out!
  • VisofSer
    VisofSer Posts: 130 Member
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    You may find this table of squat strength standards as provided by Lon Kilgore, PhD interesting:

    i7jazfdrm5p3.jpg

    This was sourced from ExRx here.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    VisofSer wrote: »
    You may find this table of squat strength standards as provided by Lon Kilgore, PhD interesting:

    i7jazfdrm5p3.jpg

    This was sourced from ExRx here.

    And Bret Contreras's article/chart based on his experience with people he's trained: http://bretcontreras.com/female-strength-levels/

    I started with dumbbell squats and moved up from there, OP. Actually, I started with just my bodyweight and then moved to dumbbells and then the bar. We all start in different spots. We all move at different rates. My squat progress has been very slow in comparison to my other lifts. I just finally got my squat up past my bench. I used to find it frustrating but now I don't care. I just keep plugging along.
  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,521 Member
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    Then, an empty bar; Now, 1x2@160lbs
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
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    It used to be a thing to squat your weight. You can hurt yourself doing that, though.
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
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    MostlyWater wrote: »
    It used to be a thing to squat your weight. You can hurt yourself doing that, though.

    Well, maybe if you squat wrong. I squat one and a half times my weight with no problems.

    OP: I started with an empty bar, and it was heavy to me.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    MostlyWater wrote: »
    It used to be a thing to squat your weight. You can hurt yourself doing that, though.

    If you use poor form or attempt it untrained, yes you can hurt yourself doing that. You can hurt yourself doing a lot of things though. I threw my back out moving a box of books. I once chipped a tooth while humming. I ended up with stitches in my head when I knocked a post hole digger off the wall hanger. There's pretty much a way to get hurt doing anything in life.
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
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    I started out with body weight squats, then dumbbell squats and finally the bar. I have squatted 120kg (264 pounds), on the platform, and while I have squatted more in the gym, that doesn't matter to me.
  • utahmomof10
    utahmomof10 Posts: 133 Member
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    When I first started almost a year ago, I couldn't even squat with the 45-pound bar. I found it to be totally surprising since I ran and rode my bike a lot. I have since learned that running and biking use your hip and butt muscles, but they don't strengthen them, so I have had to completely build up my hip and butt strength almost from scratch. I have since worked up to a working weight of ~110 lbs and 1RM of 143 lbs on back squats (low bar).
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,144 Member
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    Body squats only. I can't put the bar with or without weight on my shoulders, so I continue with body squats, chair/ goblet squats and TRX squats.
  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,521 Member
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    MostlyWater wrote: »
    It used to be a thing to squat your weight. You can hurt yourself doing that, though.

    Squat is 1.28 body weight; deadlift is 1.8 body weight; I haven't gotten hurt yet. Maybe I'm just awesome; it's possible.
  • serenityfrye
    serenityfrye Posts: 360 Member
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    I started with an empty bar and after a year I'm still at 65-70 lbs. But I have bad knees, scoliosis and super tight hips so progress for me is very slow in order to Keep good form and avoid injury. don't get in too much of a hurry to squat lots of weight - make sure you've got good form before progressing and take it at your own pace :smile:
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Ummmm...0. I started with no weight and could barely squat halfway down.
  • ltworide
    ltworide Posts: 342 Member
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    Started with goblet squats @ 45 lbs. I have some mobility issues & can't perform a barbell back squat safely but I'm good to go with barbell front squats, zercher squats, goblet squats, Bulgarian split squats, lunges, etc.
    Tonight I did some density training & did 5 reps of front squats at 110 lbs., 5 deadlifts at 215 lbs.,5 pull-ups, 5 deficit pike presses feet on a stability ball higher than my hands & 9 burpees.
  • ghouli
    ghouli Posts: 207 Member
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    Thank you everyone! Your answers were helpful and I'd never seen that chart before so thanks for posting that. I'll poke around in that 5x5 group and read up on everything!
  • christch
    christch Posts: 238 Member
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    When I started it was body weight then 5kg dumbbell box squat. Now I can do 37.5kg barbell front squat. It's taken 11 months to get there.
  • mirrim52
    mirrim52 Posts: 763 Member
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    Started with the 45 lb bar. Now at 130 lbs with full depth and solid form. I am 5'0" and 114 lbs.

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